The present invention relates to apparatuses which permit a liquid to be sprayed into the atmosphere, comprising a container, which is intended to contain the liquid and has at least one outlet for the liquid to be expelled from the container, the outlet being situated above the liquid, means for generating a gaseous stream to expel the liquid from the container, means for vaporising the liquid in the gaseous stream, and means for spraying the vaporised liquid. Hereinafter, vaporisation is understood to mean the transformation of a liquid into fine droplets and the possible change thereof into the gaseous state, and spraying is understood to mean the transformation of the fine droplets obtained by vaporisation into very fine droplets.
Such apparatuses may be used as a simple product diffuser, or they permit scents to be diffused into the atmosphere when the liquid contained in the container is a fragrant liquid, in any place, depending on the wish or the needs of the user, more especially in the laboratory, to study the effect of the scent on the behaviour of individuals or the composition of the scents, in marketing agencies in order to ensure the promotion of a product, in supermarkets in order to influence the consumption of products, in any place to ensure that the place smells sweetly, etc. Uses of this type of apparatus in aromatherapy can also be envisaged.
Prior art discloses, more especially with the document EP 0 608 176, a spray of the type described above. The spray comprises a container containing the liquid to be sprayed, to the base of which is secured an inlet tube for the gaseous stream. The tube traverses the liquid in the container and is provided with a venturi at its upper end above the liquid, a venturi to which is laterally connected a suction duct for the liquid. The upper part of the container is extended by a distillation chamber, intended to reduce the dimension of the liquid droplets in suspension in the gaseous stream downstream of the venturi, and this is in order to diffuse a mist of very fine droplets at the spray outlet.
Such a spray operates well, but it has disadvantages which can greatly limit the possibilities of use thereof. In effect, the liquid is contained in a container which forms a body with the spray and at the base of which the venturi is secured, and this does not confer great flexibility of use. Such a configuration, moreover, leads to difficulty in cleaning the parts which make up the spray, particularly the container, more especially when it is desirable to use a different product, and a high cost of manufacture. Also, it is not easy to refill the container with spray product each time it is empty.
With the document EP 0 655 282, an apparatus is also known for spraying fragrant liquid, in which the liquid to be sprayed is situated in an exchangeable cartridge, which is disposable when it is empty. Here, it is the exchangeable cartridge which contains the venturi intended to vaporise the liquid. This type of spray may permit the disadvantages of the difficult refilling and cleaning of the spray previously described to be overcome. However it remains very onerous in use, since the cartridge, which is changed on every product refill, contains elaborate technical devices, more especially the venturi. In addition, since this cartridge is intended for single use, the spraying means which it contains cannot be as effective as those of an apparatus for which they are intended to be worn out over the lifetime of the apparatus.